2007 Lexus Is 250 Awd In Excellent Condition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Best places to get your car maintained and repaired

In this era of rampant inflation and high interest rates, the challenges of acquiring a car or SUV have been well documented. And so it has never been more important to protect that expensive investment by maintaining it. In recent months, Autoblog has shared Consumer Reports' evaluation of the least and most expensive car brands to keep running, as well as tips to prolong a car’s useful life. Especially since the pandemic, a number of factors have impacted these costs: more complex vehicles, new materials and manufacturing methods, a shortage of qualified technicians and replacement parts. Since 2022, repairs costs have jumped each year by about 10 percent. This month, Consumer Reports is offering a useful primer on keeping your ride in great shape, suggesting what might be the best options for searching out a repair shop, depending, as CR says, “on your car and your situation.” Author Ben Preston identifies three basic types of repair facilities: dealership service departments, independently owned repair shops, and chain repair shops. Building up trust with a specific shop and feeling comfortable going there is important. Preston quotes John Ibbotson, chief mechanic at Consumer ReportsÂ’ Auto Test Center: "You might be able to save a few bucks by going to whichever shop offers the cheapest prices, but if you want consistent, reliable service, itÂ’s best to find a repair shop you trust and stick with it,” Ibbotson says. The story goes on to evaluate each type of service facility. HereÂ’s a breakdown of CRÂ’s findings: Dealerships These work well for owners of newer cars, especially for covered warranty work. But the disadvantage is the high labor rates common to dealer service. Satisfaction ratings for dealer service departments range from very good (Acura, Lexus, Mazda, and Volvo) to not-so-good (Jeep and Kia). Dealers are best for: Fixing infotainment system glitches: "If the screen in the center of your dash has a habit of freezing up, or the touchscreen-activated climate controls arenÂ’t working, the dealership is the most likely place to find someone with the know-how to fix problems that maybe only a factory-authorized technician can access," Ibbotson says. Safety system recalibration: "Anything from a crack in your windshield to a minor fender dent can upset the calibration of the sensors that make features like automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control work," says Ibbotson.

Lexus and Adidas celebrate 'Wakanda Forever' with unique RX design

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" just smashed the box office for its opening weekend, and to help celebrate the release, Lexus worked with a team at Adidas on a movie-inspired RX 500h F Sport SUV. Lexus handed a brand-new RX to Adidas S.E.E.D. school for a Wakanda-worthy makeover. The S.E.E.D. (School for Experiential Education in Design) program helps Adidas identify and promote design talent in groups that may not otherwise have a chance, including female creators, who constituted its entire inaugural class in 2020. Working with the Adidas design shop, they approached the SUV with the question, “What if Wakanda had a national athletic team?” The result is a unique F Sport design with diamond patterns and gold accents. Though dramatic, the look helps hide the RXÂ’s massive grille. LexusÂ’ F Sport trims have traditionally focused mostly on appearance upgrades, but the move to build a dedicated 500h F Sport with upgraded hybrid tech should bring a meaningful boost in sportiness. The team also massaged the RXÂ’s interior, changing upholstery and materials throughout. The unique diamond pattern from the SUVÂ’s exterior translates into wild patterns on the seats, steering wheel, and door panels, while gold accents replace the center console and door trim pieces. Wakandan letters adorn the RXÂ’s door sill plate and steering wheel, where the team stitched “Wakanda Forever” in the fictional alphabet. While some may find the wild creation cool enough to buy, itÂ’s not for sale. The vehicle will likely make the rounds at movie-related events before being placed in a company storeroom somewhere. Interestingly, the S.E.E.D. team also created a shirt, but like the RX, itÂ’s not for sale. Only a select group of influencers will get the shirt, which features the phrase “Educate a Woman, Educate a Nation” in Wakandan text.

Autoblog Podcast #414

Episode #414 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Seyth Miersma discuss the new 2015 Shelby GT and go over the finer points of Elon Musk's recent speech during the Detroit Auto Show. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #414 Topics 2015 Shelby GT Elon Musk speech in Detroit In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Lexus LX 570 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit 2015 Toyota Prius C 2015 Lincoln Navigator Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Seyth Miersma Runtime: 01:17:58 Rundown Intro and Garage - 00:00 2015 Shelby GT – 32:41 Elon Musk – 41:33 Q&A - 54:48 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Dodge Lexus Lincoln Toyota toyota prius c shelby lincoln navigator lexus lx